Helping a Blonde (attn: Raeyn)

[Matalina]

Jesse had nothing important to do, no training of trainees, no real push to go on wall duty, and really no need to practice another hour on his forms.  There was really nothing to do for the rest of the day.  Sure he could spar or practice, but it was rare that he felt the need to do something else.  He had gotten himself ready, gussied up, and worn one of his better casual set of clothes he'd bought since coming to Tar Valon.  Jesse combed his top knot and polished his sword and then started out of the barracks.  He wanted to go browsing in Tar Valon, maybe get a meal and a drink.  But he had no plans so he was going to fly free today, no schedule, no plan.

 

Jesse walked out of the barracks and past several trainees sparring, nothing really catching his eye or taking his mind away from what he had planned. But as Jesse passed a lone blonde girl he saw he struggling with her forms.  She was trying with all her might and her mind and she just couldn't master the form she was working on.  Jesse couldn't even recognize it, that was how bad it had been.  Jesse had seen her around before, how could you forget a face like that.  He smiled softly and he approached the girl.

 

"Can I be of assistance?"  Jesse bowed slightly. "I am Jesse, I can help but I think you need to sit down and relax for a little while.  You'll never get it when you are this worked up."

 

Jesse

[Raeyn]

 

Growling at the damnable sword, Audie whined mentally, <i>"Why is this </i>so<i> hard?!  I think this must not even be a form; that Thera is a mean woman and trying to trick me!"</i>  Taking a deep breath, she gripped the sword's hilt even harder and tried again, <i>"I don't know why this is so hard!  Everyone else makes it look so easy, it's not fair!"</i>

 

She'd been working the forms all day, and Audie was tired and annoyed.  Her fuzzy little blonde brain couldn't understand why she'd been singled out to keep practicing long after class had been dismissed, or even why she was still here working on it.  It was <i>so</i>unfair; if only she had been able to channel, then she could've already gone and taught her meanie evil husband the lesson her deserved!

 

She had even tried talking to some of the Accepted when they had a freeday and were able to come down to the Yards to watch the Tower Gaurds and Warders train.  Audie still felt that the Aes Sedai were lying about her being able to learn, and tried to get the Accepted to teach her.  They wouldn't either; they were greedy women and didn't want to share their power, and wouldn't talk to a poor woman sweating herself to death.

 

Suddenly, a voice spoke up behind her, "Can I be of assistance?"  the young man standing there bowed slightly. "I am Jesse, I can help but I think you need to sit down and relax for a little while.  You'll never get it when you are this worked up."

 

Sheathing her sword, her eyes narrowed, "Jesse, is it?  You can go tell Thera that she's a meanie and a liar; I don't know what she's trying to get me to learn, but this surely isn't it... it's nothing like bundling straw back on the farm!"

[Matalina]

Jesse nearly laughed instead of smiling.  The poor girl was ... how do you put it, Jesse couldn't think of a nice way to put it.  The only word that came to mind was blonde.

 

Jesse patted the girls hand.  "I'm sure that Mistress Therea didn't steer you wrong.  I'm really not sure how the sword forms got their names.  I was always confused as I was a trainee as well.  But for different reasons."  When she didn't say anything or turn away from him Jesse continued. "I was taught by my father, and there the forms I learned didn't have names and were taught a bit differently, so I had to readapt and relearn, and the names well they were weird."

 

"I remember thinking that these men must have liked animals and plants or something because that's all they were named after."  Jesse smiled.  "Come one let's go talk some place else you need a break.  Then I'll help you with Bundling Straw."  Jesse took the girls hand and pulled her along.  "What's your name by the way?"

 

Jesse

[Raeyn]

 

Audie's irritation faded into a smile as Jesse talked about sword forms, though she still disagreed with his assessment of Mistress Thera - she was a mean evil crone of a woman!  But still, an offer of help wasn't to be scoffed at, nor was taking a break.

 

Peering up at the sky, she nodded abruptly, and kept nodding for punctation, "A break sounds fine, thank you!  And my name is Audie, Audie Acker, nice to meet you!"  She peered around quickly, supiciously, and continued, "I think that I've practiced long enough, Mistress Thera isn't going to get mad at me for stopping for a break and some food, do you think?  I'm ever so hungry, she's had me going since before dawn, I think!  Where did you want to go to talk, then?  Somewhere with food, perhaps?!"

 

Gesturing for him to lead on, she couldn't understand the perplexed expression on his face, but didn't really care - it was nice to finally take a break!

 

 

<i>Audie

Miss Blondie Talks-a-Lot!</i>

 

 

 

 

[Matalina]

Jesse smiled.  "Yeah I think I can manage someplace with food if you don't mind a walk." 

 

Jesse continued to hold her hand absently.  He'd actually forgotten he'd been holding it and dropped it immediately.  "Come we'll go to town and find a suitable place."

 

Jesse lead the way into town and to an fine inn.  It wasn't where he had intended to go, but he hadn't expected to be with a pretty girl either.  He was glad he had dressed up. 

 

Once in the inn Jesse found a table near the back wall, he pulled out a chair facing the wall for Audie. "Here's your seat."  She sat thankfully and he pushed the chair in behind her.  He then took the seat opposite of her.  "I hope you can find something you like here."

 

Jesse ordered to ciders for them. "I will have what she's having."  And Jesse waited for her to order.

 

Jesse

 

[Raeyn]

 

Beaming sunnily, Audie replied, "I don't mind at all; anything is better than standing around here any longer!"  As to suit that, they promptly set off into town.

 

She had been silently relieved when Jesse dropped her hand.  Even though her husband was a mean and awful person who needed to be taught a lesson, it had been ingrained in her that she shouldn't really let any other men touch her outside of her spouse. 

 

Still, the young Andoran woman was somewhat starved for companionship.  For some reason she couldn't fathom, she'd not made a single friend since coming to Tar Valon!  The other girls in the Yard didn't like her for some reason, even though she was nothing but nice to them, and the girls training in the Tower?  Stuck up selfish brats, all!

 

It was a nice day though, and she chattered incessantly all the way to the inn that her new friend Jesse had picked.  As Audie wasn't a bright girl, most of this amounted to complaints about how mean some of the Warders were and how cruelly they overworked her, how the girls in the White Tower were selfish and mean, and she had no idea why she stuck around to be treated so <i>awfully</i>!

 

Once at the inn, Jesse did the properly gentlemanly thing and offered her a chair.  Taking it as her due, she settled into it and allowed him to order the drinks.  When he said she could pick the meals, Audie broke into a wider smile - this was truly a young man with <b>proper</b> manners!

 

Listening over the offerings, she asked the girl to bring them large portions of mutton and bread.  Once the girl left, she turned her attention back to Jesse, "I hope that's okay, Jesse!  I find mutton to be just the thing when I'm as hungry as this.  I hope they make it nice here, I've not eaten here before?  Have you eaten here before?"

 

Stopping to take a sip of her cider, she looked expectantly across the table.

[Matalina]

Jesse smiled. "Yes it's okay."  She sure did ask a lot of questions and talk alot, it was hard to get a word in edge wise unless she asked him a specific question.  "I've eaten here before, but it's a rare occasion I actually eat outside of the mess."

 

They chatted about several things while they waited for their food to arrive.  Audie went on and on about how everyone was out to get her, or at least that was how she made it sound.  "As a trainee it always feels that way.  I know I felt the same thing when my mentors kept telling me to do silly things."  Jesse reflected upon his own trainee time.  "I remember one time when Shoar Gaidin made me climb a tree.  He said it was for my footwork, but I still don't really see how that helped me out any.  What he did next however did."  Jesse grinned.  "He threw stones at me.  And I had to move out of the way.  And for each stone that hit me I had to carry another sandbag, or run another lap.  Anyone he missed he had to do the same.  It was a very tiring day I might add."

 

Their food arrived and Jesse looked at Audie.  "It looks delicious."  Jesse put a silver coin on the train the girl had brought.  "Let's see how it tastes."  Jesse waited for Audie to start.  It was his upbringing.  Women were our way to eternal life. 

 

Jesse

[Raeyn]

 

 

 

Nodding graciously, Audie sampled the mutton.  While it didn't compare to her mother's cooking, it was better than the mess hall.  "You're right, Jesse, this is better than the mess!"

 

Feeding with little feminine grace, she gave into her hunger and shoved food down with unseemly haste.  That didn't stop her from shooting off more questions between gulps of cider and meat, however, "That's mean of Shoar, why would he do that to you?!  I mean, you either get hit by a rock or risk falling out of a tree, and what good is that?!"

 

Tearing off a large portion of bread, she ripped it into smaller pieces and pushed it into her mouth around words, "Mmm, so hungry..  Anyways, no one has done any of that tree stuff to me yet, and I wouldn't let them do something so horrid!  I'm still so cross when that hag Mariasha forced -FORCED!- me to get into the river and stand on barrels.  It was so cold, and I was shivering!  But did that mean old witch care? No!"

 

She hrmpmmed, still making it sound somehow whiny, and took a large swallow of her cider to clear her throat.  Suddenly, she realized how impolite she had been, and blushed slightly, "I must apologise for my manners.. this awful place seems to have stripped me of the time to eat a meal leisurely."  Audie grimaced slightly, her lips twisting into yet another pout, "I just never have time between training, and I'm always <i>so</i> hungry!"

[Matalina]

Jesse couldn't help but smile at her naivety, it really was a wonder she had made it this far, she really didn't belong here.  But he couldn't help but laugh at her barrel comment.  "The barrels are meant to teach you balance as well as to endure the cold.  At least that is what I learned from it as a traiene.  My mentor put me through the same drill.  And I put my trainees through it as well.  It is not easy but it is fun.  Particularly if you bring a friend or two with you." 

 

Jesse looked at the girl with wonder.  "Why are you here Audie?  Just to get at your husband?"  He paused quickly.  "I could help you with him instead of putting you through this torture you claim your training is."

 

Jesse

 

[Raeyn]

 

 

She grimaced at Jesse's almost-lecture about the barrels - she didn't <i>have</i> any friends, no one was nice here.  Sure, there had been other people doing the training with her and having a good laugh, but they were all mad.  Audie had heard of some people from up north thinking that splashing around in ice water was a way to have good fun, but considering that she barely could tolerate snow, why would she <i>want</i> to be cold and wet?!

 

She was pulled out of her reverie when Jesse spoke again, "Why are you here Audie?  Just to get at your husband?"  He paused quickly.  "I could help you with him instead of putting you through this torture you claim your training is."

 

Frowning, she spoke slowly, "That wouldn't be fair either, would it?"  She scratched her chin and furrowed her brow in thought, "I mean, he wasn't being awful to you, so why should you teach him a lesson?  It's not like you could trade places with me, or move in with us and keep reminding him that he should treat me better... no, that wouldn't be right at all."

 

Shaking her head, Audie smiled softly, "But I do appreciate the thought; it sometimes feels like I'm the only person looking out for me."

[Matalina]

Audie was going about the whole training thing wrong, but Jesse didn't want to lecture.  She would never amount to much if all she wanted was to thump her husband.  Jesse was slightly sad that she was married.  It was odd that a woman joined the guard, much less one that was already married.  It wasn't common for them to marry later in life either but it was known to happen.

 

Jesse ate silently for a few moments, he wasn't sure what to say about her situation that wasn't mean. He didn't want her to think she was out to get him.  He though he'd add a bit about his own training to ease the tension. "Sometimes it feels that way.  But sometimes that is how it needs to be too.  I didn't want to be in the Tower when I came here.  My dad told me this was the only way I would be able to join an army."  Jesse didn't include why he couldn't join the Shinearian army he didn't want word getting out even now he was paranoid about his knee injury affecting his stay here. 

 

Jesse continued on, "I came here to prove to myself and to others that I was a capable warrior.  I have proven myself but I learned soon after coming here that I had to really want this or it wasn't going to work.  I think you have come into this with good personal intentions but I think you need to get your head on straight and really want this.  There are other ways to deal with your husband."  Jesse winched at the word but continued anyway.  "Like forgoing him something he likes until he gives you want you want.  Whether its time in bed or a warm meal at night.  Treat him how he's treating you."

 

Jesse finished off the last of his mutton.  "But I've never been married nor claimed to be a good lover, husband, boyfriend or whatever so I guess I'm just really talking through my teeth."

 

Jesse

[Raeyn]

 

Audie made a moue and spoke slowly, "I think that you'll probably make someone a good boyfriend or husband sometime, Jesse... you're sweet... <i>If none to bright; why would Egbert want silks and gems?!</i>"

 

She abruptly giggled at the thought; how ridiculous to think of a man wearing gems!  Why, that was as silly as Egbert's insistence that he couldn't afford such things for her!  Noticing Jesse looking at her oddly, she giggled again, "I'm sorry Jesse, I had a funny thought cross my mind.  But as my husband is also a soldier, he'd only respect force to give into me having my way.  I just never thought it would be <b><i>so hard</i></b> to learn how to do all this stuff!"

 

Frowning, she picked at the last bits of her mutton before brightening suddenly, "But at least you can help me get better!  That'll be great, and then I can teach him good, and he'll treat me right and.."

 

She stopped suddenly as she remembered something, then jumped up with a yelp, "Light, I have to go!  That awful Jasine told me I had to clean weapons today, and I don't want to get in trouble and have to go see Thera again."  Dashing for the door, she called over her shoulder, "We'll meet up soon and practice, okay, later bye!!!!"